Head of Acquisition – Home Loans (Credit Risk & Pricing) at Absa South Africa

Job Summary

• To lead and optimize the acquisition and pricing strategy for the Home Loans portfolio, ensuring alignment with the bank’s credit risk appetite, regulatory requirements, and profitability objectives. This role is pivotal in balancing risk, reward, and competitiveness in new customer onboarding and loan origination.

Job Description

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute acquisition and pricing strategies that drive quality growth in the Home Loans portfolio.
• Align acquisition and pricing policies with the bank’s credit risk framework and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate with Product, Marketing, Distribution, and Finance teams to ensure strategies are commercially viable and risk-aligned.

Credit Risk Oversight

• Define and maintain credit risk parameters for new originations.
• Monitor portfolio performance of newly acquired accounts and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Lead the development and refinement of credit scorecards and decisioning models.

Pricing Strategy

• Own the pricing framework for Home Loans, ensuring it reflects risk-based pricing principles.
• Work with Finance and Treasury to incorporate cost of funds, capital allocation, and profitability metrics.
• Monitor competitive pricing trends and adjust pricing strategies to maintain market relevance and margin integrity.
• Ensure pricing decisions are data-driven and support sustainable growth.

Policy & Governance

• Own and update credit acquisition and pricing policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with internal governance, regulatory requirements (e.g., NCR, Basel), and audit standards.
• Represent acquisition and pricing risk in governance forums and credit committees.

Data & Analytics

• Use advanced analytics to identify trends, opportunities, and risks in acquisition and pricing performance.
• Partner with data science teams to enhance predictive models, segmentation strategies, and elasticity analysis.
• Monitor early delinquency, vintage performance, and margin trends to inform acquisition and pricing adjustments.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Engage with internal stakeholders including Risk, Legal, Compliance, Finance, and Operations.
• Influence senior leadership on acquisition and pricing strategy and risk appetite.
• Liaise with external partners (e.g., credit bureaus, mortgage originators) to enhance acquisition and pricing capabilities.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Risk Management, Economics, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years in credit risk and/or pricing, with at least 5 years in a leadership role focused on acquisition or originations.
• Deep understanding of secured lending, particularly home loans.
• Experience with risk-based pricing, credit scoring, and regulatory frameworks.

Skills & Competencies:

• Work under pressure
• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, including pricing and profitability modeling.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication.
• Proficiency in risk systems, pricing engines, and data platforms.
• Leadership and team development capabilities.

Education

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)

End Date: September 16, 2025